Liturgy Alive St. Peter's Chair, Feast

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Introduction by the CelebrantThe liturgy celebrates today not so much that Peter was the bishop of Rome than what his function is. In answer to Peter’s profession of faith, Jesus appoints him the Rock on which the Church is built. As Peter himself knew very well, the shepherd is the model of his flock, dedicated to the service of the people of God.

Opening PrayerAlmighty God,
you have given us the witnessing of the apostles
as the firm rock on which we can rely.
Where Peter is, there is the Church.
But we see today that the bark of Peter is rocked;
we are often like capricious children
unused to our newfound freedom.
Make us use this freedom responsibly
and do not allow us to lose our composure.
Reassure us that you are always with us
and keep us optimistic about the future,
for it is your future
and you are our rock for ever.

General Intentions– For the Church in our day, that the Holy Spirit may guide it through the present pains of renewal, keep it faithful to the gospel and speak its message in the language of our time, we pray: Lord, remember your Church.
– For the Pope, Peter’s successor, that he may be our rock of faith and the sign of unity of the Church, we pray:
– For our bishops, that they may exercise their authority as a service to building community; for priests and religious, that they may bear witness to what they preach by their way of living the gospel, we pray:
– For missionaries, that they may proclaim the gospel as good news for all and help each people and culture to encounter Christ all in their own way, we pray:
Lord, be with the Church until the end of time, as promised by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the GiftsAccept our prayer and gifts, Lord God,
and guide your Church to your safe port.
Help us to rid ourselves of the dead-weight
of cumbersome, self-made human traditions
and teach us, in a way adapted to our times,
to seek the ageless renewal given us in the gospel
of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord for ever.

Prayer after CommunionLord our God,
on this feast of your apostle Peter
you have nourished us
with the body and blood of Christ.
We pray you today:
May the unifying force of the eucharist
dispel all unhealthy division in the Church.
May there be no unbridgeable chasms between us
but may legitimate differences of thought
lead to a deepening of our faith.
May all co-exist in peace and unity
as we seek to understand your message better.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.

Blessing Who do we say who Christ is? With Peter we profess that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.